Just Another Day
by Blood-Sucker-1428
Summary: It's Anthea's birthday and she's been working hard all day. It looks like it will pass without any real notice. That's what happens when you're an orphan, don't live in your home town, and your boss hates making a big deal of birthdays. Set in the "AFTFE" fic universe but can be read as a separate entity.


**Author's Note:** **Before you all get mad at me for writing something off schedule with my arm hurting – don't worry! It was hand written and typed with mostly one hand! Plus, it's for a special occasion, I had to! beesketches on Tumblr was saying that today (Monday) was her birthday and would like some fics for her birthday. Now, since she's a reader of A First Time For Everything and has drawn me fanart before, how could I say no? She told me I didn't have to with my nerve but I really wanted to. So here's a one shot to celebrate your birthday! Set in the "AFTFE" universe but could be read as a separate entity. Please read, review, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **Clearly I don't own Sherlock. The show is the baby of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, while Sherlock Holmes itself is the creation of Arthur Conan Doyle.**

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 **Just Another Day – By Blood-Sucker-1428**

It was just one of those weeks where work wouldn't stop pouring in. Once they'd dealt with one issue another two would take its place, and that was on top of all the work they already had to do as part of their weekly schedule. That's how Anthea ended up in her current situation – sitting in Mycroft's town car, typing away furiously on her laptop answering email after email.

Blinking her eyes wide to try and keep away, Anthea pressed send on an email, wrapping up yet another issue. She rubbed her eye and looked down to the corner of the computer screen to check the time.

 _12:05 AM._

Anthea bit her and took a deep breath.

"Well, it's no longer my birthday." She sighed. Mycroft looked up from his phone with a bored expression.

"Oh, was it your birthday?" He hummed, his tone matching his expression. Mycroft turned back to his phone and continued whatever issue he was currently dealing with. "I forgot that was this month." Anthea sighed silently to herself.

"You're busy, sir. No one expects you to remember something as trivial as a birthday." His own birthday would go unnoticed if it were up to him – Anthea didn't allow that to happen. She wished the same could be said about hers. On the other hand, Anthea was used to her birthday passing without much of a fuss – being orphaned and moving out of your home town has led to anyone who would care about the date not being around. The thing is, usually Anthea's best friend at least sent her a present but she hadn't even received a text from the girl today – well, yesterday technically. It could be forgiven, the girl was busy with work and probably was booked to do makeup at some big wedding or two today. Anthea would just make her feel bad about it later.

"If you had mentioned it earlier, my dear, I may have taken you out for lunch."

"When did we have time for lunch, sir?"

A pause. Mycroft quirked an eyebrow.

"Good point."

Anthea shouldn't mope so completely. First of all it was entirely unbecoming for Mycroft Holmes' personal assistant to mope. Secondly, her birthday wasn't completely forgotten. The agents, James and Carol, ad bought her a bottle of scotch together, a good one, and Walter had given her a card signed by him and his wife – that was something. She'd even gotten a happy birthday text from Doctor Watson. Hell, she'd even gotten a recognition text from Sherlock.

 _Not Anthea, John informs me that it's your birthday. – S.H._

 _Yes it is, Sherlock. – A._

 _I don't have to wish you false wishes, do I? – S.H._

 _No, I know you Holmes'. Acknowledgement is enough. Thanks. – A._

 _Good. – S.H._

But Mycroft and Jamie… Anthea would have been fine with being so busy if Jamie had at least called her. Or even a text as stupid and funny as Sherlock's.

"Anthea, did you email that judge for me?" Mycroft asked, still focused on his own phone.

"I'm doing it now." Anthea sighed at the change of subject.

Mycroft's car pulled up in front of the gate to his house. Anthea, closing her laptop, frowned as she watched Walter pull out his security clearance for the guard and list his passengers.

"Sir," Anthea leaned towards her boss and spoke in a hushed, curious, tone. "Walter usually drops me off home first. Did he forget I was here?" He wouldn't be the first person to forget her today. Mycroft pocketed his phone in the inner breast pocket of his suit jacket and nonchalantly looked out the window.

"No, my dear. There is one more thing I need you for today before you retire for the evening. I do hope that's not a problem." Anthea fought the urge to roll her eyes as she returned to sit upright in her seat.

"Not a problem, sir." What was she going to do anyway? Sleep? She was used to running on empty after being at this job for years.

"It's not a problem for you, but trust me, dealing with this particular person is a problem for me, my dear." Steel eyes sparkled with a quiet humour. Anthea quirked an eyebrow.

"Someone you don't like dealing with, sir?" She asked. Mycroft clicked his tongue.

"You have no idea…" Anthea could question further but she really couldn't be bothered.

The car pulled up in the driveway outside the house. Anthea packed up her laptop and she and Mycroft exited the car.

"Thank you, Walter." Mycroft said, taking off his black leather gloves to pull out his house keys.

"Goodnight, sir." Walter nodded. He then gestured for Anthea to approach. She obliged only to be pulled into a bear hug by the tall driver. "Happy birthday, Miss James." Anthea laughed despite herself. She smiled and squeezed him back.

"Thank you, Walter." She giggled. "That means a lot." Walter let go, smiled one last warm smile, and returned to the black car.

Anthea followed Mycroft up the stairs to the front door of his house. Mycroft unlocked the door and gestured for Anthea to enter first. Anthea nodded in appreciation and scooted past her boss quickly. She heard the click of the door closing echo through the hall as Mycroft followed behind her.

"To your office, sir?" Anthea asked as she walked through the entrance hall.

"No, I have everything for this particular ordeal set up in the front room." Anthea looked over her shoulder and frowned. How odd. No details about this particular job and he's calling it an ordeal. What annoys him that much?

Anthea opened the door to the front room to find the lights already on. On Mycroft's coffee table sat a black box with a pink ribbon around it, and a bunch of helium balloons being weighed down by the Japanese ornament he kept in the centre of the coffee table. Most surprisingly of all, sitting on the arm of Mycroft's couch was the blonde haired brown eyed girl who had been Anthea's only confidant for many years, her best friend Jamie. The girl flashed a bright, toothy smile and jumped off the couch.

"Happy birthday, my Alice in Wonderland!" She walked around the table and hugged Anthea, who was still in shock with her mouth slightly agape.

"Jamie?" She asked, looking down to Jamie and then across to Mycroft. Mycroft was walking over to the kitchen counter to put his keys and briefcase down. "What? How?" Mycroft came to stand next to Anthea. Jamie let go and practically bounced up and down on the spot.

"We planned this weeks ago." She beamed. _Oh?_ Anthea looked over to Mycroft, who – with a neutral expression – only nodded. "I texted Einstein about surprising you with a ticket home for your birthday. He said you guys were super busy but he could help me out if I wanted it."

"Guys…" Anthea was speechless.

"It's absolutely nothing, Miss James, really." Mycroft waved her off with a flick of his hand. Anthea pulled her best friend into another hug, absolutely surprised to see the girl. She was family to Anthea, and she only got to see her a handful of times a year. Phone calls and chatting online just didn't cut it.

"This is an amazing gift, guys." Jamie pulled out of the hug and held the taller brunette out at arm's length.

"If you think I'm good, wait 'till you open your actual present!" She pulled Anthea by her hand, almost dislocating her arm, to sit on the couch next to her, right near the black and pink box. Black and pink, how very Anthea and Jamie. Mycroft stayed exactly where he was. Jamie rolled her hazel eyes.

"Don't be a loner, you weirdo, come join your assistant as she opens your present." Jamie finished with a scoff and shaking her head at Anthea. Mycroft mumbled under his breath – probably something negative about Jamie – and awkwardly came to sit in the matching armchair. "Alright!" Jamie exclaimed, picking up the box, holding it tightly in her lap. "This was our idea but just so you wouldn't think that a certain creepy genius who lives in a huge empty house spent a small fortune on it we got others involved. He and I put in the most, well Einstein put in the most. I got my mum and step-dad involved, and he got his parents involved too. His dad even knew where to find it –"

"For goodness sake, Miss Thompson, just give Alice the bloody present." Jamie stuck her tongue out at Mycroft, who scowled in response, and handed over the present. Anthea opened the card first and read the message inside written in Jamie's handwriting.

 _Dear Alice,_

 _Happy Birthday! Hope the 364 un-birthdays that follow are just as good!_

 _From your surrogate families;_

 _Violet, Siger, Sue, Mick, Mycroft, and Jamie._

Anthea sniffed a laugh as her lips pulled into a half smile looking at all those names in her birthday card. And of course they could resist the Wonderland dig, this was Jamie – who was the big start of it, and Mycroft – who brought it up in the most creative ways possible just to tease her. Anthea placed the card down on the coffee table. She undid the pink ribbon and took the lid off of the black box. Inside was an old, leather bound, worn book. Very carefully Anthea picked it up and read the title. She gasped and felt her heart flutter like crazy.

"Is this-" She stuttered. "Is this a first edition of _Wuthering Heights_?" Her voice was quivering, her dark eyes on the verge of watering. It had been Anthea's favourite book from her early teenaged years. When her parents died she read it and re-read it time and time again just to escape. This was…

"It's been restored and the spine has been replaced so it's in great quality. I wouldn't recommend abusing it by reading this copy fifty times a year like you do with your reprint copy." Mycroft spoke in that careful tone of his, not letting a single bit of emotion slip through. Anthea looked over to the man. Here he was pretending he didn't care and didn't want to be there. This book and her best friend – whom he wasn't too fond of – in his house, that told a completely different story. As did the softness to his features. Jamie was merely grinning from ear to ear at her best friend's reaction. Anthea looked back down at her book and broke out in her own equally large grin.

"I don't know if I should kill you two or kiss you." She breathed. Jamie threw her head back and laugh.

"You're not my type," She mocked as she pushed her blonde hair back into place. "But I'll take a very large hug." Mycroft cleared his throat.

"Before you kill me, I'd at least like to try the cake Miss Thompson ordered with my credit card." He stood up and began towards the kitchen.

"You bought cake?" Anthea asked.

"Of course we did, it's the only tolerable thing about birthday celebrations."

Anthea wasn't so sure about that. She'd much prefer her giggly best friend and her sarcastic boss over a slice of cake, regardless of how nice it was.

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 **Author's Note:** **Well what do we think? Did we like it? I particularly hope beesketches liked it! Happy birthday, my dear :P. Hope you had a lovely day. Let me know what you all think! Reviews are lovely and appreciated!**

 **Btw, I MIGHT go to the hospital about my arm so if the next actual chapter is late, that's why. I'll keep people updated on Tumblr and twitter.**


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